Relay



July 3 1945- E. R. MORTON RELAY Filed Sept. 26, 1941 UN: FINDER sumCIRCUIT //V VE/V TOR 5.1a MORTON Q5. M

A T TORNE V Patented July 3.1, 1945 RELAY Edmund 1;. mm, mum, N. Y.,assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application September #6, 1941, Serial No.412,364

12 Claims. (01. 2..-98)

This invention relates to relays and more particularly to a combinedline and cut-oi! relay structure 1 f use on subscribers lines oftelephone systems.

In telephone systems and particularly in systems of the step-by-steptime. each subscriber's line is provided with a line relay and a cut-offrelay, the two windings of the line relay being energizable in a circuitextending from the terminals of the central ofllce battery over twopairs of normally closed contact springs comprising a part of thecut-oil relay and the calling line loop when the calling subscribercloses the line loop at his substation to initiate a call. The linerelay upon energizing is ir'mtrumental in closing two pairs of contactsprings. r 0 D 01 which a circuit is established to start an idle linefinder in search of the calling line and over the other pair of whichthe winding of the cutofl relay is connected to the test or sleeveconductor of the calling line terminating in multipled bank terminals ofall line finders having access to the calling line. when the startedline operated following the release of the line relay resulting from thedisconnection of the windings thereof from the calling line loop.

Some suggestions have heretofore been made for combining the line andcut-oil relays into a single unit to eflect savings in manufacturing andinstallation costs and to effect a saving in mounting space on theapparatus rack at the central ofllce. Since several thousand of bothline and cut-oil relays are required each year to meet the normalexpansion of installed telephone offices and to meet the normal demandfor new ofllce installations, it is apparent that a relay structurewhich would perform all of the functions of both the usual line andcut-off relays in a reliable manner and which could be simplified tosuch an extent as to effect material manuthereby the cost ofmanufacture, installation and nzlaintenance and to effect more reliableopera on.

To attain this obiect and in accordance with one feature of the presentinvention, the magnetic circuit of the assembly comprises a chamelshapedneld piece having two cores extending from the base of the channelforwardly between the flanges thereof upon one of which is supported atwo winding line relay coil and upon the other of which is supported acut-off relay coil. To complete the m netic circuit, two armatures areprovided which are pivoted on axes extending at right-angles to theflanges of the channel and which are. attractable toward the forwardedges of the channel flanges and toward the pole face-ends of the cores.Stamped out of the flat blank from which the fleld piece is formed is abracket member which before the blank is bent into its channel shape isbent at right angles to the upper flange to serve as a support for asingle spring pile-up. The spring pile-up comprises nine springssuitably insulated from each other and from the bracket member, twopairs of which are normally closed and may be opened by a rearwardlyextending arm of the armature associated with the cut-ofl relay coil bythe attractive movement of such armature, one pair of which is normallyopen and may be closed by the rearwardly extending arm of the armatureassociated with the line relay coil by the attractive movement of sucharmature, and the remaining three springs forming a group. the middlespring of which is flxed and the other two springs of which areengageable with the middle spring by the attractive movement of thearmatures associated with the line relay and cut-off relay coilsrespectively.

lecturing. installation and maintenance costs would be of great value.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to simplify thestructural details of a combined line and cut-ofl relay assembly,

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, each of thearmatures is stamped from flat stock with upper and lower pintlesintegral therewith. For pivoting the armatures, a lower pivot platehaving pivot holes for receiving the lower pintles of the two armaturesis suitably secured as by spot-welding to the lower flange of the fleldpiece member and an upper pivot plate having pivot notches for receivingthe upper pintles of the two armatures is welded to the upper flange.For holding the upper armature pintles in such notches, the upper pivotplate is provided with retaining flngers which may be bent in such amanner as to engage the upper pintles of the armatures after thearmatures have been placed in their proper positions with to reduce 68their lower pintles in the pivot holes of the lower pivot plate and withtheir upper pintles in the pivot notches of the upper pivot plate. Theupper pivot plate is also provided with rearwardly extending membersbent from the ends thereof to lie in planes extending at right-angles tothe plane of the upper flange which serve as backstops for thearmatures.

Other features oi the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingin which:

Fig. i is a perspective view of a relay assembly in accordance with thepresent invention with the spring pile-up and one armature omitted andone of the relay coils shown partly in cross section:

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the relay assemblyillustrating the mounting of the spring pile-up; and

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically a circuit application of theimproved relay assembly.

The relay assembly is provided with a channelshaped fleld piece member Iwhich is bent into the shape best disclosed in Fig. 1 from a blankpunched from a sheet of magnetic iron. In stamping out the blank themetal is cut away in such a manner as to leave the bracket member 2which. after the blank has been formed into the required channel shapeby bending. serves as a support for a spring pile-up. After the blankhas been stamped out the bracket member 2 is bent at its point ofattachment to the upper flange 4 so that the bracket lies in a plane atright-angles to the upper surface of the flange and with its endextending rearwardly beyond the base portion 2. The main portion of theblank is then bent into a channel shape having a base portion 3 andupper and lower parallelly disposed flanges 4 and 2. The rear end of thebracket member 2 is provided with two threaded holes 8 for receiving thescrews by which the spring pile-up is secured thereto. The flanges 4 andl have their forward edges cut away to form the recesses I and I topermit better accessibility-for adjusting the contact springs.

The base portion 2 of the field piece member I is provided with twoholes (not shown) in which the rear ends of two cores I are secured. Toenable the cores to be secured to the base portion 2, the rear ends ofthe cores are reduced in diameter where they extend through the holes inthe base portion 2 and are counterbored to produce tubular portions, therear edges of which protrude beyond the rear surface of the base portion2 and are headed over to rivet the cores securely to the base portion.After the cores I are riveted in place, the forward edges of the flanges4 and i and the front ends of the cores are ground or machined to be ingood alignment.

Each core 0 is surrounded by a tubular copper sleeve ID, the rear end ofwhich is knurled to hold the rear spoolhead of a coil and the core beingknurled near its rear end to hold the sleeve thereon. The coil ll,mounted on the left-hand core 0 as viewed in Fig. l, is a line relaycoil having two equal windings. secured as by pyroxylin cement to therear spoolhead it which may be of suitable insulating material such asphenol fibre and having four winding terminal lugs (not shown) securedthereto in the usual manner. The coil mounted on the right-hand core 8.is a cut-off relay coil having a single winding secured to the rearspoolhead l2 which may also be of suitable insulating material such asphenol fibre and having two winding terminal lugs ll secured thereto inthe usual manner, as by eyelet rivets H. The winding terminal lugs ofthe two coils extend rearwardly through a cut-out portion it which isformed from the blank in stamping out the bracket member 2.

Associated with the forward end of each core 2 is an armature l8 stampedfrom magnetic iron.

Each armature is provided at its inner lower corner with a slot I! toform a lower pintle 2| and at its upper inner corner with a pintle 2|aligned with thelower pintle 20 and having an outwardly extendingportion 22 for a purpose to be later described. The outer upper portionof each armature is provided with an arm 23 extending upwardly and theninwardly and bent at rightangles to serve as a member for operatingcertain springs of the spring pile-up. The bent portion of the armextends toward the rear end ot the relay assembly and has a springoperating stud 24 of insulating material, such as hard rubber, seated ina hole therein. The two armatures are similar except that they arereversely stamped and bent. The lower pintles 22 of the two armaturesare seated in holes 2! in the forwardly extending arms of a U-shapedpivot plate 26 which may be welded or otherwise secured by its base tothe inner face of the lower flange 5. In welding the plate 26 to theflange, the ends of the arms of the plate are permitted to extendsuiiiciently beyond the' forward edge of the lower flange 5 so that whenthe pintles 20 of the armatures are inserted'through the holes 25 thepintles will be permitted to turn freely but will be held against undueseparation from the edge of the lower flange. The upper pintles 2| ofthe two armatures are seated in notches 21 in the forwardly extendingarms 22 of an upper U-shaped pivot plate 28 which may be welded orotherwise secured by its base portion to the upper face of the upperflange 4. The arms 28 of the plate 2| are provided with slots 30extending parallel to 'the front ends thereof which thereby provide theretaining fingers 2| bendable upwardly as disclosed in the right portionof Fig. 1 to position their ends opposite the extensions 22 of the upperarmature pintles 2| for the purpose of retaining the pintles 2| of. thearmatures in the pivot notches 2i ofthe pivot plate 2|. The pivot edgesof the two armatures are held in approximate normal engagement with theedges of the upper and lower flanges I and i by the two pivot plates 2|and 2!.

Each end of the upper pivot plate 22 is provided with an L-shaped arm 22bent upwardly at right-angles and extending toward the rear of theassembly. These arms serve as backstopa against which thearms 23 of thearmatures are normally engaged and which may be bent to ad- Just theair-gaps between the outer edges of the armatures II and the front edgesof the flanges l and i. To prevent the ends of the armature arms 23 fromadhering to the ends of the backstop arms 22, cooperating contact bars,such as are employed for contact springs, may be welded to the adjacentfaces of such arms.

A single spring pile-up is provided which comprises four fixed springsand five movable or armature springs cooperating therewith, two of thefixed springs 22 and 24 have their contacts normally engaged by thecontacts of the associated armature springs 35 and 26. A third fixedspring 21 has its contacts normally disengaged from the contacts of theassociated armature spring II and the fourth fixed spring II ispositioned between the associated armature springs 40 and 4| but withits contacts normally disengaged from the contacts or the springs 43 and4|. All but one of the springs are insulated from each other, from thebracket 2 on which the spring pile-up is secured and from the outerclamping plate 42 by interposed strips 43 of insulating material, suchas phenol fibre, and are secured to the bracket 2 by screws 44 whichextend through aligned holes in the clamping plate 42, in the springsand in the insulating strips 43 into the threaded holes 6 in the bracket2. One spring 33 is grounded to the bracket 2 by the metallic spacingmember 63. The shanks of the screws are, in the usual manner, surroundedby sleeves of hard rubber for insulating them from the springs throughthe holes in which they pass. Each spring terminates at its rear end ina soldering terminal to enable external wiring conductors to beconnected therewith. Each armature spring has its contact end bifurcatedwith a contact welded to each section thus formed, the pair of contactson each spring cooperating with a pair of contacts welded to theassociated fixed spring.

Referring to Fig. 3 the insulating stud 24 secured to the arm 23 of thecut-off relay armature extends freely through a hole provided in thefixed spring 33 and engages against the outer surface of the armaturespring 35. Aligned with the stud 24 and ring-staked to the armaturespring 36 is a stud 53 of insulating material which passes freelythrough a hole in the fixed spring 34 with its outer and engaged againstthe inner surface of the armature spring 35 and with its inner endengaged against the outer surface of the armature spring 43. Thus by theattraction of the armature associated with the cut-off relay coil ii,the studs 34 and 58 cause the movement of armature springs 35 and 36 todisengage their contacts from the contacts of fixed springs 33 and 34and the movement of armature spring 43 to engage its contacts with thecontacts 01 fixed spring 29. The insulating stud 24 of the line relayarmature engages the outer surface ofthe armature spring 36. Alignedwith this stud and ring-staked to the armature spring 4| is a stud 45 ofinsulating material which passes freely through a hole in the fixedspring 31 with its outer end engaged against the inner surface of 32 inwhich position the outer edges of the armatures are separated from thefront edges of the flanges 4 and 5 by suitable air-gaps.

For determining the normal positions of the contact ends of the fixedsprings 33, 34, 31 and 39, each of these springs is provided near itscontact end with a downwardly extending tang 46 which is engaged in apositioning strip 41 of insulating material such as phenol fibre. Thisstrip is riveted to the pivot plate 23 by eyelet rivets 48. The upperflange 4 of the field piece member I is provided with holes (not shown)for receiving the heads of such rivets whereby the plate 23 may lie inclose engagement with the upper surface of the flange 4 for weldingthereto.

Due to the cut-out portions 1 and 8 of the flanges 4 and 5 and-thecorresponding recesses formed between the arms of the U-shaped pivotplates 28 and 29 welded to such flanges, greater access is attained forthe insertion of a tool for adjusting the contact gaps between thesprings 01' the spring pile-up.

Fig. 3 illustrates the application oI-the improved relay assembly to asubscriber's line of a dial switching system served by a, line finder.In this figure the relay assembly has been schematically disclosed tobetter illustrate its operation. A subscriber's substation isillustrated by the circle 43, a line finder by the brush set 50 and thetest relay or the line finder by the rectangle 5|. In

the installation of the relay assembly, two terminals of the line relaycoil l3 are connected respectively to the battery and ground bus-bars ofthe central office battery andthe other two terminals are connected tothe armature springs 35 and 36, one terminal of the cut-oil relay coilII is connected to the battery bus-bar and the other terminal isconnected to the two armature springs 43 and 4| and to the sleevemultiples 52 of the subscribers line appearing in the banks of allconnector switches having access to such line. The springs 33 and 34 areconnected to ring and tip conductors 53 and 54 of the line, the spring33 is connected to the sleeve or test multiples 55 of the line in thebanks of all line-finder switches having access to the line, such, forexample, as the switch 53 andsprings 31 and 38 are connected to the linefinder start circuit and to ground respectively.

With the relay assembly thus connected, when the subscriber atsubstation 43 removes his receiver from the switchhook to initiate acall. a circuit is established from ground through the right winding ofline relay coil |3 over the normally closed contacts of springs 34 and36, tip conductor 53 of the calling line over the line loop through thesubstation 49 and then returning overthe ring .conductor 54, over thenormally closed contacts of springs 33 and 35 to battery through .theleft winding of line relay coil I3.

Coil |3 thus becomes energized to attract the associated armaturethereby moving armature springs 38 and 4| to engage their contacts withthe contacts of the fixed springs 31 and 33, respectively. Theengagement of the contacts of springs 31 and 38 closes the line-finderstart circuit 56 to start an idle line finder in search of the callingline and the engagement of the contacts of springs 33 and 4| prepares anoperating circuit for the cut-ofi relay coil II from battery throughsuch coil over the contacts of springs 39 and 4| to the sleeve or testterminal 55 thereby placing potential on such terminal and the multiplesthereof to indicate to a star-ted line finder that the line is in acalling condition.

It will be assumed that the line finder indicated by the brush set 53 isstarted to hunt for the terminals of the calling line. As soon as thetest brush 51 engages the test terminal 55 oi. the line, a. circuit isestablished from ground through the winding of test relay 5| over brush5'! and terminal 55 for completing the circuit of the cutofl relay coilCoil thereupon energizes, the copper sleeve on its core permitting aquick build-up of current through its winding whereby the test relay 5|of the line finder is enabled to operate quickly. With the coilenergized, the associated armature is attracted to disengage thecontacts of springs 35 and 36 from the contacts of springs 33 and 34 tothereby disconnect the windings of the line relay coil |3 from thecalling line loop and to engage the contacts of spring 43 with thecontacts of spring 33. with the contacts of these latter springs nowengaged, a holding circuit T! the cut-off relay coil H is establishedfrom battery through such coil over the retraction of the line relayarmature whereby the contacts of springs 39 and ll become opened, isdelayed for a sumcient interval to insure that the holding circuit forthe cut-off relay coil H has been established by the engagement of thecontacts of springs I9 and I0. Coil H is now maintained energized overits holding circuit until the line finder becomes released following therestoration of the receiver to the switchhook at the calling linesubstation.

While the relay assembly has been disclosed as applied to a subscriber'sline terminating in the bank of a line finder, it will be apparent thata change in the arrangement of the springs of the spring pile-up wouldenable the relay to be used in other types of dial switching and manualsystems.

What is claimed is:

1. A relay assembly comprising a. channelshaped field piece, two coressecured to its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof,a relay coil supported on each of said cores, armatures attractable tothe forward pole edges of the flanges of said field piece and to theends of the respective cores, a bracket struck out from the centralportion of said field piece and lying in a plane perpendicular to theplane of the upper flange of said field piece and a single sprfiigpile-up supported on said bracket, certain of the springs of which areoperable by the armature associated with one core and certain of thesprings of which are operable by the armature associated with the othercore.

2. A relay assembly comprising a channelshaped field piece, two coressecured to its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof,a first relay coil supported on one of said cores, a second relay coilsupported on the other of said cores, armatures attractable to theforward pole piece edges of the flanges of said field piece and to theends of the respective cores, a bracket struck out of the upper flangeof said field piece and bent at right-angles to the surface thereof, anda spring pile-up supported on said bracket, certain of the springs ofwhich are operable by the armature associated with the second relay coiland other springs of which are operable by the armature associated withthe first relay oil.

p 3. A relay assembly comprising a channelshaped field piece, two coressecured to its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof,a first relay coil supported on one of said cores, a second relay coilsupported on the other of said cores, armatures attractable to theforward pole-piece edges of the flanges of said field piece and to theends of the respective cores, a bracket struck out of the upper flangeand base portions of the blank from which said field piece is formedprior to the formation thereof intoits channel shape, said bracket beingbent at rightangles to the surface of the upper flange with its rear endextending beyond the rear face of the base of the field piece and aspring pile-up secured to the rear end of said bracket with its contactsprings extending forwardly, certain of said springs being operable bythe armature associated with said second relay coil and other of saidsprings being operable by the armature associated with said first relaycoil.

4. A relay assembly comprising a channelshaped field piece, two coressecured to its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof,a first relay coil supported on one of said cores, a second relay coilsupported on the other of said cores, rear spoolheads for said coilshaving rearwardly extending coil terminal lugs secured thereto,armatures attractable to the forward pole-piece edges of the flanges ofsaid field piece and to the ends of the respective cores, a bracketstruck out of the upper flange and base portions of the blank from whichsaid field piece is formed whereby when said blank is bent into itschannel form an opening is provided in the base portion through whichsaid coil terminal lugs extend, said bracket being bent at rightanglesto the surface of the upperflange with its rear end extending beyond therear face of the base of the field piece and a spring pile-up secured tothe rear end of said bracket with its contact springs extendingforwardly, certain of said springs being operable by the armatureassociated with said second relay coil and other of said springs beingoperable by the armature associated with said first relay coil.

5. A relay assembly comprising a channelshaped field piece, two coressecured to its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof,a first relay coil supported on one of said cores, a second relay coilsupported on the other of said cores, 2. spring pile-up supported on theupper flange of said field piece, armatures attractable to the forwardpole-piece edges of said flanges and to the ends of the respective coresfor opcrating springs of said pile-up, each of said armatures havingupper and lower pintles formed integrally therewith, a lower pivot platesecured to the lower flange of said field piece having pivot holes inwhich the lower pintles of said armatures are engaged and an upper pivotplate secured to the upper flange of said field piece having notchestherein in which the upper pintles of said armatures are engaged andbendable fingers formed integrally with the upper pivot plate forholding said upper armature pintles in their assembled position in saidnotches.

6. A relay assembly comprising a channelshaped field piece, two coressecured to its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof,a first relay coil supported on one of said cores, a second relay coilsupported on the other of said cores, a spring pile-up supported on theupper flange of said field piece, armatures attractable to the forwardpole-piece edges of said flanges and to the ends of the respective coresfor operating springs of said pile-up, each of said armatures havingupper and lower pintles formed integrally therewith, a lower pivot platesecured to the lower flange of said field piece having pivot holes inwhich the lower pintles of said armatures are engaged, an upper pivotplate secured to the upper flange of said field piece having notches inits front edge in which the upper pintles of said armatures are engaged,bendable fingers formed integrally with said upper pivot plate forholding said upper armature pintles in their assembled positions in saidnotches and arms bent up from the ends of said upper plate serving asbackstops for said armatures.

'7. In a relay assembly, a channel-shaped field piece, two cores securedto its base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof, a firstrelay coil supported on one of said cores, a second relay coil supportedon the other of said cores, a spring pile-up supported on the upperflange of said field piece comprising a plurality of fixed springshaving positioning tangs and cooperating armature springs, armaturesattractable to the forward pole-piece edges of said flanges and to theends of the respective cores for operating said armature springs, eachof said armatures having upper and lower pintles formed integrallytherewith, a lower pivot plate secured to the lower flange of said fieldpiece having pivot holes in which the lower pintles of said armaturesare engaged, an upper pivot plate having notches in which the upperpintles of said armatures are engaged and bendable fingers formedintegrally with said upper pivot plate for holding said upper armaturepintles in their assembled positions in said notches, and a notchedstrip of insulating material secured to said upper pivot plate in thenotches of which the tangs of said fixed springs are engaged.

8. A relay comprising a channel-shaped field piece, a core secured toits base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof, a relaycoil supported on said core, an armature attractable to the forwardpole-piece edges of the flanges of said field piece and to the end ofsaid core, a bracket struck out of the upper flange and base portions ofthe blank from which said field piece is formed prior to the formingthereof into its channel shape, said bracket being bent at rightanglesto the surface of the upper flange with its rear end extending beyondthe rear face of the base of the field piece and a spring pile-upsecured to the rear end of said bracket with its contact springsextending forwardly, certain of said springs being operable by saidarmature.

9. A relay comprising a channel-shaped field piece, a core secured toits base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof, a relaycoil supported on said core, a rear spoolhead for said coil havingrearwardly extending coil terminal lugs secured thereto, an armatureattractable to the forward pole-piece edges of the flanges of said fieldpiece and to the end of said core, a bracket struck out of the upperflange and base portions of the blank from which said field piece isformed whereby when said blank is bent into its channel form an openingis provided in the base portion thereof through which said coil terminallugs extend, said bracket being bent at right-angles to the surface ofthe upper flange with its rear end extending beyond the rear face of thebase of the field piece and a spring pile-up secured to the rear end ofsaid bracket with its contact springs extending forwardly, certain ofsaid springs being operable by said armature.

10. A relay comprising a channel-shaped field piece, a core secured toits base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof, a relaycoil supported on the core, a spring pileup supported on the upperflange of said field piece, an armature attractable to the forwardpole-piece edges of said flanges and to the end of said core foroperating springs of said pile-up, said armature having upper and lowerpintles formed integrally therewith, a lower pivot plate secured to thelower flange of said field piece having a pivot hole in which the lowerpintle of said armature is engaged, an upper pivot plate secured to theupper flange of said field piece having a notch therein in which theupper pintle of said armature is engaged and a bendable finger formedintegrally with the upper pivot plate for holding said upper armaturepintle in its assembled position in said notch.

11. A relay comprising a channel-shaped field piece, a core secured toits base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof, a relaycoil supported on said core, a spring pile-up supported on the upperflange of said field piece, an armature attractable to the forwardpole-piece edges of said flanges and to the end of said core foroperating springs of said pile-up, said armature having upper and lowerpintles formed integrally therewith, a lower pivot plate secured to thelower flange of said field piece having a pivot hole in which the lowerpintle of said armature is engaged, an upper pivot plate secured to theupper flange of said field piece having a notch in its front edge inwhich the upper pintle of said armature is engaged, a bendable fingerformed integrally with said upper pivot plate for holding said upperarmature pintle in its assembled position in said notch, and an arm bentup from one end of said upper plate serving as a backstop for saidarmature.

12. A relay comprising a channel-shaped field piece, a core secured toits base and extending forwardly between the flanges thereof, a relaycoil supported on said core, a spring pile-up supported on the upperflange of said field piece comprising a plurality of fixed springshaving positioning tangs and cooperating armature springs, an armatureattractable to the forward pole-piece edges of said flanges and to theend of said core for operating said armature springs, said armaturehaving upper and lower pintles formed integrally therewith, a lowerpivot plate secured to the lower flange of said field piece having apivot hole in which the lower pintle of said armature is engaged, anupper pivot plate secured to the upper flange of said field piece havinganotch in its front edge in which the upper pintle of said armature isengaged, a bendable finger formed integrally with said upper pivot platefor holding said upper armature pintle in its assembled position in saidnotch, and a notched strip of insulating material secured to the upperpivot plate in the notches of which the tangs of said fixed springs areengaged.

EDMUND R. MORTON.

